Town boss Mick McCarthy will be looking for his side to continue what’s been a good start to the season at home when they take on Aston Villa this afternoon.

In the 2014/15 play-off season the Blues’ Championship home record was bettered by only Middlesbrough on goal difference, but last term Town were less impressive at Portman Road with their form on their own turf the ninth best in the division, picking up 18 points fewer than Boro, who again topped the home table as they won promotion to the Premier League.

So far this season at Portman Road in the Championship Town have beaten Barnsley 4-2 and in their last home fixture Preston 1-0, while the derby against Norwich City ended 1-1.

“We’ll be trying to do that, that’s our aim, every week to win wherever we are, but especially at Portman Road," McCarthy said.

“But every season’s different. I’ve never had a season where it’s just replicated the last one whether there’s been a good home record or a bad away record, mediocre home record, great away record. I’ve never had two the same. We want to win on Saturday.”

Saturday's opposition manager Roberto Di Matteo has made what some have viewed as bold team selections this season with four attacking players named in some of his Villa sides.

“Bold, that’s an interesting one,” McCarthy reflected. “That’s another issue, having so many good players. You might want to put all the good players in - he’s got to play, he’s got to play…

“People do it with my team as well, they say ‘McGoldrick’s got to play, Jonny Williams has got to play, if Tom Lawrence starts ripping up he’ll have to play, if Freddie’s ripping it up he’ll have to play, if Bru’s ripping it up he’ll have to play, Bish will have to play, Dozzell will have to play.

“Suddenly they’re trying to pick four defenders and a goalkeeper and everybody else [is an attacking player].

“You’ve got to pick a team to win games and the problem is that if you’ve got loads of good players like that you can sometimes overlook what it might need to win the game.

“But I wouldn’t mind the opportunity of having Jonny and Didz and Tom, Bish, Dozzell, all of them fit, all them flying, it would be great. But it doesn’t mean that I’m going to pick them all.”

Regarding Bishop, McCarthy says the 20-year-old, who missed most of last season through injury, is fit and ready to start games but is being kept out of the team by the form of some of the senior players.

“Cole Skuse and Jonathan Douglas have been brilliant, as a central midfield pairing they’ve been absolutely top class the pair of them and it gives the other lads and the full-backs room to get forward,” the Blues boss said.

“I think the two of them have been terrific. That’s hindering other players’ development.

“But if we keep getting results, as I’ve said before, I’m not bothered. I want to develop players but the reality is I want to win games.

He added: “Bish is fine, he came on and did well the other night [at Derby]. We’ll find out whether he can play 90 minutes on a regular basis when he gets the opportunity, I guess. He’s been fine, he’s fit to play.”

Striker Leon Best is yet to make his Town debut with McCarthy not rushing the 29-year-old free signing into action.

“He’s doing all right, he was working extra this morning [Friday] with TC, and yesterday,” the Town manager said.

“We can’t just ‘microwave’ his fitness and get him ready in five minutes when it should take two hours. We don’t want to get him injured. But he’s doing well in training, he’s fine.”

Photo: TWTD

muccletonjoe added 07:36 - Sep 17 Cant argue with mick that skuse and douglas have done well. Douglas will struggle to play 90 minutes on a regular basis though and that is where bish comes in , if he gets back to his best mm wont be able to take him out.
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ChrisFelix added 08:41 - Sep 17 Micks definition of brilliant certaintly different to mine. Our midfield pair are average at best. Show him videos of any Robson team
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thebeat added 08:44 - Sep 17 Douglas better than last season but still only 6 out of 10. Sadly Mick loves him, hes one of his boys, all the good players in the squad will now be rotated for the rest of the season while he keeps his place and we will continue trying to scrape results instead of going at teams.
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Terry_Nutkins added 11:18 - Sep 17 Chrishants - why compare to Robson team. You might as well say show him videos of tottenham. We are not at that level anymore. We are a champ team with minimal spending power and mick has to get results in a completely different playing field to Robson. He knows what he is doing over the course of a season and he knows he wont be picking Douglas all season but over the course of 46 games Douglas will play a good bit before christmas and Bishop will gradually take over which will give us a platform to not burnout. People always see this as he has his favourites. I dont believe that for a minute. He just knkws what it takes in this league over 46 games. He's thinking after Christmas, with a bit kf luck we'll have Johnny, Mcgoldrick, Bishop, Lawrence all picking up the reigns with Dozell getting a bit more game time off the bench later in the season. Gives us a chance to sneak playoffs.

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Seasider added 12:02 - Sep 17 That's Skues and Douglas in then,even though we are at home,because they have been brilliant says Mick,who also says he is not bothered about them hindering other players development;but in reality he just wants to win games. Some thought that McCarthy was going to change his outlook to the game by the players he has brought in.This man will never change that is why some call him a dinosaur;but they died out!

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Swn98 added 13:28 - Sep 17 Nutkins good post i had the same thoughts myself.
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